Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff - thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.
But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love or worse?
Review: In her new series Jones introduces her readers to a sexy, funny, tough new heroine in Sunshine Vicram, the police chief of Del Sol, New Mexico. Sun fled her hometown years before after the horrifying experience of being kidnapped when she was a teen, an experience she doesn’t talk about, but also can not forget. After becoming a police officer, she worked most recently only half an hour away in Santa Fe keeping true to her promise of never returning to Santa Fe and that's before her parents nominated her for chief without telling her. Now that she and her teen daughter, Auri, have settled into a cottage in her parents’ backyard, she lands a case that brings back all her worst fears and cracks open suppressed memories.
Sun adjusts to her new job, but also seems to run into a long time crush Levi Ravinder, owner of the Dark River distillery and a member of the dysfunctional, law breaking family. The sexual tension between Levi and Sun is tangible and makes readers curious to learn more of their history. Auri’s first day at school is ruined by mean girls and rumors that identify her as a police snitch. The best part of Auri's day is meeting heart-stopping Cruz De los Santos, a talented poet who has a rough exterior and is also the coolest guy in school.
The mystery concerning Marianna St. Aubin's missing daughter and Levi's missing nephew brings the story lines of mother and daughter quite well. Like her Charley Davidson series, Jones handles humor, mystery, and smoldering romance quite well. I liked how Sun and Auri work together. Auri is comes off as an ordinary teenager, but her mother respects her and is never condescending. The pace and the focus is much more streamlined that the Charley Davidson series. literally crashes into the police station to report the kidnapping of her daughter, Sybil. For years Sybil told her parents about dreams that she’d be taken and killed before her 15th birthday, but they never believed her. Though the mystery is nicely wrapped up by the end of the novel, there are many lingering questions left unanswered and a great promise for another fun entertaining series. I can't wait to see what other mysteries this mother-daughter duo will solve.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: There is some strong language, crude sexual humor, and a sexual situation at times graphic. Recommended for older teens and adults only.
If you like this book try: Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) coming in July 2021
Labels:
2020 Reading Challenge,
4 stars,
Adult,
Family,
Humor,
Mystery,
Romance,
Sunshine Vicram series
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Ok, adding this one to my TBR list. I haven't heard of this author or book before, but it sounds like a fun read.